If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Understanding は and が Particles

My brain is hemorrhaging trying to figure out how to properly use は and が. In school, my teacher told me that は is used when you're talking about a non-exclusive subject and が is used when you're specifically talking about one thing or subject. She also mentioned that は is used to introduce a new subject. It sounded easy enough to me but I just did a particle exerise using は and が and I pretty much failed it. Could someone help explain how to use these particles properly?

Re: Understanding は and が Particles

One good tip to remember: は puts the emphasis on what follows it, while が puts the emphasis on what precedes it. When you have a question, the question word (e.g. who, what, how, where, etc.) will logically always be the emphasis of the sentence, so usually only the question words can take が in questions.

>アリス は 誰？
The question word is 誰, so naturally the topic アリスcannot take が, but must take は to shift the emphasis to 誰.
If you reverse the word order, you would have 誰がアリス？, in which case the question word 誰 takes が.

>彼女 が アリスだ
This is the response to the question, so 彼女 replaces 誰, but retains the particle が.
In this case, the emphasis is on "SHE", as in SHE is the person you were asking about.
彼女はアリスだ, with emphasis on "Alice", would be a good reply to "彼女は誰？" ("Who is She?").

>これ は 何？
Again, in a question, usually only the question word takes が. The topic これ must take は.

>それ は 鉛筆。
The emphasis is on the answer to the question ("pencil"), so それ takes は since "that" is not the emphasis of this sentence.

>あれ も 鉛筆？
も means "also", "too". When も is used, は is always dropped, while が and を are regularly dropped (but could be retained for added emphasis).

>あれ は ペンだ。
The emphasis is on "pen", as in, "That is A PEN!", not anything else.

アリス） 図書館 は どこ？ [Alice: Where is the library?]
ボブ） ここ が 図書館だ。 [Bob: THIS PLACE is the library.]
アリス） そこ は 図書館じゃない？ [Alice: That place is not the library?]
ボブ） そこじゃない。図書館 は ここだ。 [Bob: Not there. The library is HERE.]

>図書館 は どこ？
Again, the question word is どこ, so the topic 図書館 must take は to shift the emphasis to どこ.

>ここ が 図書館だ。
The library is HERE, not anywhere else.
"ここは図書館だ" simply means "This is the library", and would be an acceptable reply to the question "ここはどこ？" (Where is this place?)

>そこ は 図書館じゃない？
In this case, は functions more as a contrast particle: That place, as opposed to here, is not the library?

Re: Understanding は and が Particles

That explanation really helped me out. I think I'm starting to grasp how to use those two particles. I'm going to try those exercises again and see how well I do.
Thank you very much for explaining this difficult concept to me. I appreciate the effort you took to help me with it.

Re: Understanding は and が Particles

The best explanation/translation I've heard is that 'ga' is the 'underline' or 'capital' particle. As is in puts the word before it in CAPITALS and therefore places importance on that specific word. Whereas 'wa' can be thought of as 'about', eg: "watashi wa"... about me....

I'm doing an online course called 'Japanese Through Anime' taught by Ken Cannon. I find he explains things really simply and in ways I can understand.

Re: Understanding は and が Particles

Its all in the verb and the context.

I have found it less to be はor が and more を or が which is where transitive and intransitive verbs come into play or in english "I closed the door" vs "The door closed". You use が because は would make no sense.

Usually when you use が in place of は you are using the verbs aru or iru instead of desu, or if you use desu you are omitting another part of the sentence which the が then implies.

Re: Understanding は and が Particles

There are two cases:
1) が and は are not interchangeable in the clause.
The upside is that it is much more clear which one you have to use. The downside is using the wrong one will lead to a misunderstanding.

2) が and は are interchangeable in the clause.
The upside is that you'll be understood even if you sound unnatural. The upside is it is not quite clear which one to use.

(1) happens for intransitive verbs and adjectives where が to make the direct object (rather than を) had the clause been a transitive verb.
In these cases を isn't used, and は, に, には are used to mark the subject. Grammar dictates which one you use here.

(2) is tricky, and I can only give a weak heuristic.
a) Use which one you knows works by experience: If you see a sentence using either one, then just play it safe and use that sentence.
b) If it's a nested clause, use が.
c) If you're identifying who/what did something or asking a question in similar nature, use が.
Here "identifying" is a bit vague, though I think it's more appropriate than "emphasis". I'd say が implies intent to identify, and intent to identify implies emphasis, which is why が implies emphasis.
If you are asking "who/what did it" or answering such a question, not using が is strange. If you're assigning blame or credit, using が makes more sense. It has sort of a "it is X that...", "X is the one who..." feeling to it.
d) Otherwise use は.